Switch point protector



NOV. 3, 1953 1 ROBlNsON 2,657,886

i SWITCH POINT PROTECTOR Filed Oct. ll, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l A TTORNEY.

Nov. 3, 1953 J. ROBINSON SWITCH POINT PROTELQTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Oct. l1, 1949 ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 3, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SWITCH POINT PROTECTOR n Joseph Robinson, New York, N. Y. Application October 11, 1949, Serial No. 120,792.

Claims. (Cl. 246-441) A considerable item of expense in maintaining railroad track in proper operating condition is due to the constant wear, and occasional breakage, at the thin forward point of the switch blade caused by the grinding impact of car wheels. Wherever railroads are operated in any country this condition exists requiring replacement of the entire switch blade, consisting of several feet of expensive rail, or repair by welding up the damaged point. Either solution costs time and money. Until a badly Worn or broken switch point is repaired danger of derailment is con-` stantly present.

My invention relates to protectors for safeguarding the forward thin edge of switch blades against this hazardous wear and breakage. Among the objects is to provide a simple protector that attaches directly to the railroad rail in front of the thin forward point of the switch blade and is provided with a removable protecting device or blade which diver-ts the car wheels away from this weaklsection of the switch blade thereby protecting it. Being removable, the protecting device may be readily replaced with a new one when worn out. The device is preferably made of any suitable material that will last well and which will not unduly wear the flange of the engaging wheel. Bronze or manganese steel of proper hardness are suitable materials.

Other objects and advantages of my invention are described in the folowing specification, pointed out in therappended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improvement showing it attached to the railroad rail;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the construction shown in Figure 1 with half of the rail omitted;

Figure 3 is a vertical section through the rail taken on about the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the foundation member; f y f ew of the renewable Figure 5 is a perspective vi protecting device or blade. i y

Figure 6 is a side elevationof a. modification of my improvement showing it attached to the railroad rail; f

Figure 7 is a plan view of the construction shown in Figure 6 with halfof the railroad rail omitted;

Figure 8 is a vertical section through the rail taken on about the line 8-8 of Figure 6;

Figure 9 is a perspectiveview of the removable protecting device or blade shown in Figures 6,

7 and 8, and 'l Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 8 illustrating a further modificationof the protector device. v f l n i elongated openings 24 rotationof the bolts.v

In the drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like or similar parts, a conventional railroad rail is shown at A whilst the usual switch blade to be protected i-s shown at B. Slightly in advance of the thin forward point II of the switch blade I attach, as by bolts or other suitable means I2, a holder or foundation member C made of any suitable metal, preferably of bar stock, and formed generally to the Ur-shape shown by hot or cold pressing. The top of the inner wall of the holder is turned inwardly to form a foot or stop I4 which bears against the top of the web I5 of the rail, Figure 3. The bottom I6 of the holder is tapered complementar-ily to the taper of the upper face of the rail flange Il on which the holder rests. The to'p of the foot I4 and the top of the outer wall I8 of the holder lie in approximately the same horizontal plane. Upon these ltop edges or surfaces I mount a removable protector device or blade D having a horizontally and vertically tapered or curved head I9 to divert the car wheel 20, Figure 3, from the thin edge II of the switch blade B. vThe protector device D is provided with a vertical web 2| disposed between the two vertical walls of the holder C and gripped thereby. Projecting inwardly from the inner face of the blade D I provide a lug or shoulder 22 extending rthe length of the blade and adapted to engage under the rail head 23 to prevent upward movement of the blade from the service position, Figure 3. Securing means such as bolts I2 extend through openings 24-25 in the holder C and in the rail web I5 to clamp the holder and the protector or blade D in position.` To facilitate operation of the nuts 26 of the bolts I2 from the side of the rail I mount a thick washer 2'! under each nut and provide the bolt head with shoulders 28 which fit in the complementarily shaped in the'holder C to prevent The web 2| of the protecting device D may extend into throat or opening 29 of the holder to a point below the bolts if desired. The shoulders 30 formed by the openings in the web co-act with the'fbolts I2 to pre- .vent longitudinal shifting of the blade on the holder under the impact of car Wheels 20. If the openings in the web 2, are in the form of fully shaped bolt holes the bolts therein will serve to prevent upward movement of the blade D in the holder. Y g

It will be understood that as the nuts 26 are vtightened the clamping action of the holder C on the web 2| of the removable blade or protector D takes place inasmuch as the top of the holder is stopped against inward movement byrengage-` ment ofthe foot I4 with the rail flange and en.`

gagement of the lug 22 under the rail head 23 prevents undue upward movement of the holder as the bottom I6 thereof is drawn inwardly on the upper face of the rail web l5. The protector D is made of any suitable material such as manganese steel or other metal of hardness which will not unduly wear the flange 3| of engaging car wheels, 23, Figure 3, and being removable it may be replaced at will.

In the modification of my improvement shown in Figures 6 to 9 inclusive the holder C is made of any suitable metal, preferably of bar stock. and formed to the shape shown by -forging or pressing. At the top of the holder I form a v relatively wide bearing to receive and support the removable double-edged, reversible protector device or blade E, generally V-shape in crosssection, which includes the horizontally and vertically curved or tapered protecting edges 32-33 one of which extends under the rail head 23 and engages therewith to prevent undesired upward movement of the device under the impact of car wheels 20, Figure 8, and the other of which engages the side of the rail head as shown to receive the flange 3l of the wheel and ldivert the wheel away from the thin forward edge Il of the switch blade B. Each edge of the protector E is equally eiective for this diversion purpose and the inner face of each edge conforms approximately to the taper on the side and under side of the rail head 23 against which it engages. Each of these inner faces is disposed less than 145 and preferably approximately 110 from the other. Being double edged and reversible to bring the unused edge into service, the protector E has long life and offers convenience and economy. To prevent the protector shifting longitudinally on the rail under the impact of the car wheels I provide it with a depressed bearing 3l, into which the top of i the holder C projects and with shoulders 35, Figure 9, which engage opposite sides of the holder at its top. To facilitate operation of the nut 26 of the bolt i2 from the side of the rail I mount a thick washer 21 under the nut and provide the bolt head with shoulders 28 which flt in a complementarily shaped elongated opening in the holder to prevent rotation of the bolt. The throat of the protector device E shown in Figures 8 and l0 is grooved at 36. and the holder C may if desired be slightly bowed outwardly from the rail, Figures 8 and l0, in order to produce a spring liker action on the assembled parts, including the rail head, when the bolt I2 is firmly drawn up. The modification of the protector device Evshown in Figure l0, which has but one protecting edge, is especially adapted to provide this result. Its

lower inwardly turned edge 31 aiords a distinct,

\ spring like action against the bottom of the .rail

head 23 and serves to prevent the protector from tilting out of proper engagement with the top of the holder C.

What I claim is:

l. A switch point protector comprising in com- Y bination, a switch blade having a relatively thin forward point, a railroad rail against which said blade is adapted to engage, a holder securedv to said rail in front of said blade and engaging the Bange of said rail, said holder comprising a 'pair of vertically arranged laterally spaced walls, V said walls being relatively movable, a vdevice vrerno'vably mounted on said holder to divert the impact of car wheel from the thinfor'ward point oi.' said. blade, said device having a part which'extends into the opening betweensaid'walls, and means 4 for simultaneously clamping said walls together against said part and said part against the rail head to removably retain said device in position on said holder and to anchor said holder to said rail.

2. A switch point protector such as described in claim 1 in which said device is provided with a shoulder engaged by the top of one oi' said spaced walls and in which said wall moves upward into tight clamping engagement with said device and forces the device rigidly against the head of said rail as the bottom of said holder is drawn inwardly by said clamping means.

3. `A switch point protector such as described in claim 1 in which the top of said walls occupy substantially a common horizontal plane and form a bearing for said device, the upper edge of one' of said walls being turned inwardly to form a stop for engaging said rail to limit the inward movement o! thetop of said holder under the action of said clamping means.

4. A switch point protector comprising in combination, a switch blade having a relatively thin forward point, a railroad rail against which said blade is adapted to engage, a holder secured to said rail in front of said switch blade and engaging the flange of said rail, said holder including a pair of vertically arranged laterally spaced walls each of which is provided at its upper portion with a bearing, said walls being joined at their bottom for engagement with the iiange of said rail, said bearing occupying substantially common horizontal plane, one of said bearings forming a stop to limit the inward' movement of the top of said holder, a protector device removably mounted on said bearings and having a head portion which diverts the impact of car wheels from the thin forwardlpoint of said blade, a web integral with said head portion and extending into the opening betweensaid spaced walls, seats on said head portion for engaging said bearings, said seats being arranged adjacentthe top of said web, a part on said device engaging the under side of the head of said rail to limit upward movement of said device relative to the rail head, vmeans for clamping said walls against said web to removably retain said device in said holder and to forcesaid head portion and said part rigidly against the head of said rail and lock them thereto, and means for preventing undue movement of said device in said holder longitudinally of said rail.

5. A switch point protector comprising in combination, a switch blade having a relatively Vthin forward point, a railroad rail against which said blade is adapted to engage, a holder secured to said rail in front of said switch-bladeand mounted on the flangepf said rail, a protector vdevice removably mounted on said holder for diverting the impact of car wheels fromthethin forward point of said blade, and clamping means eo acting 'with said rholder to--anchor the device against thehead of saidl rail, said vholder being bowed outwardly from the rail in order to producela spring-like action onthe, assembled parts when the clampingmeans is'rmly drawn up."

Number Name .Dm

1,649,954 Fulton Nov. 22,"1927 1;686,342 Palmera-; Oct. 2.1938 1,826,657 Fulton Oct.4 8.1931 

